Ask the Nutritionist | Stephanie

In an effort to introduce the nutritionists behind the Dishing Up Nutrition microphone we’re back at it with our 5 Questions series. Last summer (where does time go?) we profiled Britni who shared her easiest go-to dinner and what she wishes more people knew about nutrition.

Today Stephanie is in the hot seat!

1. What do you throw together for dinner when you just don’t feel like cooking?
   To start with I always have cooked meat in the fridge. I make big batches whenever I’m in the kitchen so I know  when life gets busy I can just grab that and have a quality protein. Then I’d heat up some Trader Joe’s frozen vegetables. It’s a bag of mixed vegetables, cheap and easy! From there I usually just blob on my fat, olive oil, guacamole or mayo, whatever sounds good. The whole meal is nothing fancy, but it works!
   
   
2. What do you think is the biggest misconception about nutrition?
   That you have to be perfect. Please, please, please think progress not perfection. Let’s say you used to eat zero cups of veggies and now you’re eating two cups, awesome. Don’t kick yourself for not being at ten cups of veggies yet. People are very hard on themselves; the shame and guilt if they’re not doing everything perfectly isn’t helpful or worth it.
    
3. What would you tell someone who’s considering changing their eating but nervous to start?
   Just pick something you’re ready, willing and able to do. So if that’s drink more water or eat two cups of veggies or not going through the drive through, do it. The point is, start with super small, attainable baby steps. We know that 90% people fail if they try to do too much at once.
   
   
4. Why did you want to go into a nutrition career?
   My parents are both in health care. My dad is a doctor and my mom is a nurse, so I was always surrounded by the health industry. I have a vivid memory of my dad bringing me in for Take Your Daughter to Work Day and showing me adipose tissue (fat) from a patient in open heart surgery. It was shocking! He said “This is what happens when you eat sugar, drink soda and eat ice cream.” That left a huge impression. I remember thinking “Wow, I have the choice of how the inside of my body looks by what I put in my mouth?”
   
   
5. Everyone has food struggles or triggers; what is yours? More importantly, what tricks do you use to avoid that issue?
   That’s an easy one. Pizza and wine, hands down. I’m from Chicago … deep dish pizza is in our DNA. How do I avoid that issue? Simple, do not have it in your house. It’s not willpower at that point, it’s just your environment. Make the bad habits harder to do and the good habits easier to do.

What questions are you curious about for our next 5 Questions with a nutritionist? Let us know in the comments!